Here's Your First Look at Ariana Grande as Glinda in Wicked

(SPOT.ph) Our first look at the upcoming Wicked movie adaptation has set the Internet abuzz. Universal Pictures dropped the teaser at the U.S.' most-hyped time, the Super Bowl, giving the world a whole minute to look into this reimagination of a beloved Broadway play. Whether you're a certified stan or a complete newbie to the world of the musical—bar trying to sing "Defying Gravity"—we've got the lowdown below. 

Also read: 10 Cool Things You Don't Know About Wicked

What to know about the Wicked movie

Check out the Wicked trailer:

The stars of the Wicked movie

Cynthia Erivo and the unmistakable Ariana Grande star as on-and-off besties Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. We got to catch glimpes of the magical world of Oz, including Glinda arriving in a bubble—a favorite scene from the stage play—and even a few bars of Erivo's own variation of the popular "Defying Gravity" track. We say you best prep yourself to be hearing that back on local karaoke. 

We also saw Michelle Yeoh as Madam Morrible, headmistress of the Shiz University, and a very quick glimpse of Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, who becomes the love interest of both Elphaba and Glinda. Jeff Goldblum is taking on the role of the Wizard himself. 

Rounding out the cast are Ethan Slater as Boq, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, Elphaba's sister, Bowen Yang as Pfannee, and Bronwyn James as ShenShen. Plus, there's Keala Settle as Miss Coddle, a completely new character. 

Wicked movie synopsis

Any musical fan will tell you Wicked is arguably one of the biggest stage plays ever. It debuted in Broadway in 2003, and cemented Idina Menzel and Krisin Chenoweth (the OG Elpheba and Glinda) as musical greats. Essentially an origin story for the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, it i based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The movie tells the story of Elphaba and Glinda before and after Dorothy ended up in the magical world of Oz. It traces their rivalry, then friendship, and rivalry once more from their school years.  

Wicked movie release date

The movie is coming to us in two parts, mainly because they didn't want to cut out any of the songs. No word yet on whether they'll cut the story in the same way as the two-act play. 

The first movie is slated for release on November 27 while part two is scheduled on November 26, 2025.

Producer Marc Platt spoke to the decision to cut the movie into two parts. “We didn’t want to end up making one four-hour movie and then cutting out songs,” he said. “We want to satisfy the fans of the musical.” Some fans opined that the musical's better songs are in its first half.